


Missing

by NorthsidePrincess (April_Zephyr)



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Family Feels, Friendship, Good Parent FP Jones II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 14:03:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17747249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/April_Zephyr/pseuds/NorthsidePrincess
Summary: It was a beautiful day, but for some bizarre reason, Veronica was just not feeling it. She was currently sat on a bench in the park and it felt like there was something missing from her life. It was a shock when a teenaged girl ran in front of her looking dishevelled and very out of breath. She couldn’t help but feel worried for the girl. What if there was someone chasing her.“Are you okay?” Veronica asked, the girl finally took notice of Veronica and her eyes widened considerably. Veronica’s eyes trailed behind the girl and sure enough, there was an officer chasing her after her, “Just trust me.”





	Missing

* * *

It was a beautiful day, but for some bizarre reason, Veronica was just not feeling it. She was currently sat on a bench in the park and it felt like there was something missing from her life. It was a shock when a teenaged girl ran in front of her looking dishevelled and very out of breath. She couldn’t help but feel worried for the girl. What if there was someone after her.  
“Are you okay?” Veronica asked, the girl finally took notice of Veronica and her eyes widened considerably. Veronica’s eyes trailed behind the girl and sure enough, there was an officer chasing her after her, “Just trust me.”

Veronica pulled the girl to sit beside her, fixed her hair, and made her look more kempt. When the officer finally reached the two of them he was out of breath.  
“Excuse me miss. But that girl was stealing from the store.” The officer breathed heavily, “I’ll need to take her back to the station with me.”

“No, you can’t take her anywhere.” Veronica stated firmly, “She’s a young girl, how do you expect me to not believe that you won’t do anything nefarious to her. She’s clearly terrified of you and I’m not going to take that chance.”

“I’m sorry. But it’s protocol.” The office continued, he didn’t look too happy with the implication. But Veronica was going to make sure that nothing bad happened to the girl, “I can’t exactly let her get away with stealing. I'm an officer of the law and it is my duty to serve and protect.”

“Then let me pay for the damages.” Veronica responded sharply, taking her wallet out. There was probably a lot more money in there than what the girl had stolen, but that didn't matter. Veronica was going to make sure that the girl was okay, “It’s not stealing if it’s bought.”

“Fine.” The officer agreed angrily, it was clear that he knew that Veronica was going to make sure that there was no way in hell that she was going to let him take the girl to the station. The raven-haired girl felt like she had a duty to the girl. Even though she didn't know her, Veronica felt like this was something that she needed to do, “You’re lucky that you ran into a woman like that. It’s best to stay out of trouble kid.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes. It was strange for her to defend anyone that she didn’t know. But the girl looked like she needed someone at the time.  
“Why did you do that?” The girl asked, staring at Veronica with her green eyes. She was going to a heartthrob when she grew up, Veronica could feel it in her bones. It had been a long time since Veronica's kindness was met with anger. It was a refreshing change. Being a Lodge often meant that people would agree with her for the sake of agreeing with her, “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Why were you shoplifting?” Veronica shot back, she had a feeling she already knew how the girl was going to answer. And it would work in her favour if she did respond the way she thought she would.

“Because I can.” The girl responded haughtily, folding her arms under her chest. She was a stubborn little thing. Veronica was reminded of herself because she was pretty damn stubborn too, “I can do whatever I want to do and no one can stop me.”

“And I can do whatever the hell I want to do too.” Veronica smiled, earning a curious look from the girl, “Just remember that practice makes perfect. It'll take a few times to perfect it.”

“Aren’t you supposed to sway me away from doing bad things?” The girl frowned. The teenager tucked her hair behind her ear, before sitting cross-legged facing Veronica, “Who are you?”

“Veronica Lodge.” Veronica laughed, holding a hand out for the girl to shake, “And who are you?”

“Jellybean Jones.” The girl supplied. Grabbing Veronica’s hand into a firm shake, before dropping it as if she had just burnt her hand. A shock of realisation passed her face and Veronica felt almost bittersweet because now the girl knew who she was. There was a chance that the girl would start communicating differently, “You’re a Lodge? You’re from a family of money. Why did you help me?”

“Jellybean Jones. What an interesting name.” Veronica smiled. The name Jones was a very common name, but Veronica couldn't help but wonder if she was related to the man that her father talked to occasionally, “I am a Lodge, and yes I am from a family of money. But I’m still human, I was in a similar position as you when I was around your age.”

“What do you mean you were in a similar position as me?” Jellybean queried, looking down on her legs. The brunette started picking at the rips in her jeans, before she continued talking, “I don’t think that anyone has ever been in a position like me.”

“Of course no one can say they have been in the exact same position as you. There are many factors that make things different.” Veronica continued, taking the girl's hand in her own. Sometimes holding someone's hand helped ground them and offer a sense of comfort, “But you feel like you’re losing control, not in a crazy way. Doing these little things, like stealing is a way for you to rebel, a way to show yourself that you are in control.”

“Jesus. You sound like my brother.” Jellybean giggled, stopping gradually. The girl’s face dropped and Veronica could not imagine what she was going through. Being a teenager were the worst years of her life, “I’m probably not going to see you again. But thank you for everything. I liked talking to you.”

“Jellybean Jones. Why are you talking like you’ve seen the last of me?” Veronica smiled, taking out a business card. She knew it seemed pretty odd to give a random teenager that you just met your business card. But Veronica wanted to make sure that the girl had all points of contact in case of an emergency. She remembered how hard it was to be a teenager and not wanting to share everything with your family, “Call me or text me if you ever need to vent.”

“Thank you!” Jellybean beamed, giving Veronica a tight hug, “I’ll see you around!”

“I’ll see you around.” Veronica saluted, “Take care of yourself JB.”

“I will.” Jellybean smiled, waving before leaving Veronica to her own thoughts.

What Veronica did not know was that meeting Jellybean Jones would change her life completely.

\----

Veronica was casually having a drink at a bar when she received a call from Jellybean. They had been talking for the last couple of months and it was a refreshing change for Veronica to hear someone talk about the innocent things in life like crushes and school. It reminded Veronica of a time when life was a little more simpler, where she didn’t have to think about bills and her biggest worry was whether someone liked her or not.  
“JB.” Veronica greeted, only to hear sobs on the other side of the line, “JB? Are you okay?”

“My brother’s going to do something stupid and get himself killed.” Jellybean rushed, Veronica could hear the panic in her voice and that in turn, made her panic, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Tell me where he’s going and what he’s doing.” Veronica insisted firmly, she had been involved in plenty of high-stress situations that involved violence and everything a normal person shouldn’t really experience. It was one of the things that made Veronica feel like she never really got to enjoy her teenage years. When she looked at Jellybean, she saw herself. And because of that, she was going to make sure that the kid would enjoy her younger years. Which was something that Veronica never really got to experience, “And send me a picture of him? So that I know who I’ll be looking for.”

“Veronica. You can’t do this.” Jellybean argued. The teenager was most likely on the verge of tears, “I don’t want you to get hurt too.”

“I promise you I won’t get hurt.” Veronica smiled, there was no guarantee that she would not get hurt. But right now what mattered was to make sure that Jellybean’s brother would be okay. She was a Lodge. That always worked to her advantage, “Everything will be fine.”

\----

It didn’t take her long to find the biker’s bar. The brunette had never been here before, but her father had worked with plenty of people that hung around the place which worked to her favour. The only problem was that she was definitely not dressed for a place like this, it was going to draw in plenty of unwanted attention. Veronica 's was dressed like she had just exited a cocktail party, and it was she did. But right now she needed to ignore all the curious looks she was getting and find out whether Jellybean's brother was okay or not.  
“Hello, sweetheart.” A burly man smiled lecherously, getting into her personal space, “How about I buy you a drink?”

“Can I get a rain check on that?” Veronica smiled, she found that sometimes it was better to stroke a man’s ego than to be confrontational. There was a less chance of causing a scene as she was already gaining a lot of attention from the other patrons, “Do you know the owner of this place?”

“You’re wanting to see FP?” The burly man frowned, he was looking at her like she had grown another head, “What kind of business does a girl like you have with a man like FP?”

“Oh. It’s something that you don’t want to know.” Veronica sighed, looking at her feet nervously. She was too overdressed and the sooner she got out of this, the better. Veronica Lodge was a confident girl, but being by herself in a place like this wasn't really the best of plans. It just showed that she would do anything for Jellybean Jones, “Can you please point him out to me?”

“That’s him.” The man voiced, pointing out another man, “If you get into any trouble just give me a shout.”

“Thank you.” Veronica smiled, she was charming when she needed to be. The brunette made her way to FP, she was going to make sure that nothing crazy happened to Jellybean’s brother and the only way to make sure that didn’t happen was to talk to FP, “Excuse me. You’re FP?”

“And you’re a Lodge.” FP stated, he didn’t seem to be phased by her appearance. But there was a possibility that this was the man that worked with her father occasionally, “Now how can I help you?”

“I’m looking for a Jughead?” Veronica asked, for some reason, this startled a laugh out of the other man. It took Veronica a moment to realise how stupid that sounded. But over the last few months, she had been in communication with a Jellybean so she didn’t really think about how weird it would sound to other people, “Oh gosh. Please tell me that you know a guy that goes by Jughead and not an actual guy has a head that the shape of a jug?”

“Oh sweetheart. The Jughead that you’re looking for sadly does have a head shaped like a jug. That’s why we call him Jughead.” FP snorted, staring at the older man made Veronica notice that he looked awfully similar to Jellybean, “Now what do you need from my son?”

“Wait. You’re Jellybean’s father?” Veronica frowned. Everything was getting a lot more confusing. She had come to this bar thinking that she would see a brawl or some kind altercation, “I’m a little lost.”

“I sure as hell hope that I’m her father, or her mother has a lot explaining to do.” FP grinned, he wasn't phased by her confusion and Veronica couldn't help but wonder if she had been duped, “So I take it that you’re the young lady that helped Jellybean? The one who paid the cops off to look the other way?”

“Yes. But Jellybean told me that Jughead was in trouble.” Veronica frowned, looking around the bar. It didn’t seem like anything was bad was happening, “Is he in trouble? Or was there some kind of misunderstanding that I am very much not aware of?”

“No. He isn’t trouble.” FP smiled, he was attractive for an older man. It wasn’t like he was too old, the guy was probably around the same age as her own father. She never usually saw the appeal of older men. But talking to FP Jones made her realise that there was definitely an exception to every rule, “Don’t take this out on Jellybean, she has no involvement in this. But we needed to make her think that something bad was happening to Jughead, it was a way that we could test your loyalty. But you’ve passed the test with flying colours.”

“I don’t take any offence.” Veronica sighed, she was relieved that nothing bad was happening. And it was a bit annoying that this was all a test. But her father had done a hell of a lot worse to test her loyalty to him, so nothing really surprised her anymore, “I am a Lodge after all. My father has his ways of testing others too. I’m used to this kind of lifestyle.”

“That’s good to hear princess.” FP continued, he got a glass out and placed it in front of her, “So what do drink do you want for your troubles?”

“Whiskey. Neat.” Veronica answered, watching as the man poured her a glass, “So when will I meet the infamous Jughead Jones that has a head that shaped like a jug?”

“Now.” Another voice cut in, taking a seat beside her. Veronica turned to face him, and she couldn’t help but think he was attractive. The whole Jones’ family was appealing to the eye and Veronica wondered what the matriarch of the family looked like, “Jughead Jones the third.”

“Veronica Lodge.” She smiled, letting him shake her hand, “You know what you did to your sister was pretty cruel. I don’t see her forgiving you in the near future.”

“Well, you technically did save my life.” Jughead said in an amused tone, “I managed to get out of my shift tonight and my pop's is doing all the work.”

“Kid, I’m right in front of you. This isn’t exactly something that you should say in front of your old man.” FP groaned, throwing a cloth at his son, “And just for that, you’re going to be working your next day off.”

“Ouch. So Veronica. As you were the one that got me into this situation, how would you feel about keeping me company?” Jughead grinned, he was boyishly charming. It seemed that charm was another thing that ran through the Jones family, “You don’t have to keep me company for the entirety of my shift.”

“You really need to work on better pick up lines.” Veronica laughed, in turn making FP laugh. Jughead didn’t seem to care and still had a silly smile on his face, “Fine. I don’t mind keeping you company.”

“She’s a keeper.” FP smiled, elbowing his son. Veronica couldn’t control the smile on her face. She quite liked the Jones family, “Don’t let her get away.”

“Working on it.” Jughead beamed, placing an arm around her shoulder, “So what do you say, how about a date?”

“Sure.” Veronica agreed. She wasn’t opposed to the idea of dating Jughead. And the more she stared at him the more she wondered why he was nicknamed Jughead, because his head definitely did not look like a jug, “But I would check with JB first.”

“JB’s practically begging me to make you her sister in law.” Jughead pointed out, FP gave his son a hard look and Veronica wondered if that was how FP warned his children to watch what they said, “She’ll be over the moon.”

“Do you hear this FP? It’s been under an hour since I’ve met your son with a head shaped like a jug and he’s already proposing marriage to me.” Veronica teased, making the older man laugh loudly, “Tell me more about yourself Jughead. Then I’ll decide if I want to marry you.”

\----

Dating Jughead was everything that she wasn’t expecting it to be. They were very similar in ways that Veronica never experienced with a partner. There were days where they would just sit on a couch read their own respective books and just enjoy being in the company of each other. There wasn’t the need to always be vocal or physical. It was a nice change. But that did not mean that their sex life was boring. Veronica was a sexual creature, she enjoyed sex a lot. Jughead was always willing to experiment with her and it was never boring.

It took two years for Veronica to decide that she wouldn’t mind being with Jughead for the rest of her life. And there was the added bonus that his family absolutely adored her, and her own family were not opposed to their relationship. Her father was notorious for trying to break all her relationships up, but he seemed happy with Jughead. Which in turn made her happy.

If anyone had told Veronica that her life would evolve so drastically just by the chance of meeting a stranger, she wouldn’t have believed it.

Veronica was happy. Life was always full of surprised. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. The day that Veronica Lodge met Jellybean Jones, the piece of her that was missing was found.

Veronica Lodge was complete.

**Fin. ******


End file.
